


Safe

by hrhowling



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Also the author is stressed and may take a while to update, Author has no idea how guns work, Doubt, Emetophobia, Everyone Questions Everything, Hugs, Hugs for everyone!!, I have no update schedule, Jen is a LaVeyan Satanist, Mild Blood, Minor Violence, Only in Chapter 10 so far, Only in chap11, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, Werewolves, also Daniel has a shit home life but he doesn't realise it, but she's not super strict about following the teachings, dadvid, just a warning, mild body horror, mild violence, of course, six years later, sorry folks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-22 11:58:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11966916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hrhowling/pseuds/hrhowling
Summary: Daniel spent five years in prison before he was released under… special circumstances. After a year living with his parents, he finds himself being dragged halfway up the country by his best friend and back in a place he'd hoped never to set foot on again.((Summary (and possibly the title) is subject to change))





	1. Prologue

Daniel could feel the impurity sliding through his entire body, and getting worse with each passing day. When the moon was dark in the sky, it turned to lead in his bloodstream and placed an immense pressure on the backs of his eyes. As the white disk gradually filled out, his hands shook and his eyes gleamed with a dark mania that could only have come from the black expanse of stars beyond this earth. An unnatural hunger gnawed away at his insides, but the meals his Momma made him did little to satisfy him. He refused to raid the pantry at night and corrupt his soul from greed.

This gross sickness grew worse and worse, until the night his father dragged him out to the little shed that lurked at the edge of the garden. The ominous white eye gazed down at him, full and round with the sun's stolen light.

In the shed, he was greeted by the sight of shackles and chains bolted to the floor in a cramped empty square of space.

"Put them on," his father said gruffly, pushing him forward. "I'll be back in the morning."

Daniel said nothing and just did as he was told, picking up the heavy metal cuffs. The door shut behind him, and through the growing ringing in his ears, he heard the turning of gears as his father locked him in.

He didn't dwell on how tight the cuffs were as he snapped them shut around his wrists and ankles. An experimental tug on the chains told him that they were firmly attached to the blank white concrete beneath his feet.

They hadn't taken any risks.

Silent, he sat and waited in the bare white room. There were no windows, but scraps of moonlight managed to find their way through the gaps in the corrugated roof. He didn't dare let them touch him, lest they taint him further.

So, he sat still and waited.

And waited...

Until suddenly his body was tearing itself apart, and everything went black.


	2. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max is vegetarian. Daniel seems to enjoy eating styrofoam for breakfast.
> 
> David and Jen just seem far too optimistic.

"Wakey wakey, eggs and veggies!" 

Max groaned and buried his head under the pillow. Six years, and David's perky, sunshiny attitude still got on his nerves first thing in the morning. His door opened and the smell of breakfast wafted into the room; fried eggs, bacon and breakfast muffins. 

"How are you so hyper?!" He demanded, his voice muffled by the mattress. "You fell out of a tree yesterday!" 

"I think I'm still high on adrenaline," David said, walking past and pulling open the curtains to allow sunlight to burst in. Even from under the pillow, Max just knew that the sky was clear and bright blue already, just like David's mood. "The bruises don't even hurt. And trust me, these are some big bruises; all over my shoulders." 

Grumbling, Max poked his head out from under the pillows to look at the mottled patchwork of blues and purples that decorated the back of David's neck and peeked out from beneath the sleeves of his t-shirt. He was definitely going to feel those soon. 

“Up n’ at ‘em, champ,” David continued, all but bouncing out of the room. “I wanna get an early start today. Camp Campbell waits for nobody!” 

“It’s not going to grow legs and run away, dammit,” Max growled. 

“Your omelette will get cold.” 

He rolled out of bed and started getting dressed, pulling on a pair of jeans and a Camp Campbell t-shirt that he’d swiped from the camp’s stock before unsuccessfully dragging a comb through his hair and joining David in the kitchen for breakfast. 

“So, you excited for a whole new summer of fun?” 

Max shrugged. “Nikki and Neil are going to be there, so yeah, we’ll definitely be doing some shit.” 

David raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Sorry. Scheming stuff. Better?” 

“Much.” David swallowed his last mouthful of bacon before standing up and putting his plate in the sink. “Do you want a muffin?” 

“Yeah, thanks.” 

* * *

“Wake up, marshmallow!”

A grating snarl rose in Daniel’s throat, but he bit the noise down before it could be heard. Above him, beyond the cover of his blankets, he could hear Jennifer striding over to his bed then felt her drop herself onto the bed and start shaking him by the shoulder.

“I made breakfast,” she said, her chipper voice far too loud for him to just ignore it. “Come on, it’s your favourite.”

The way she said ‘favourite’ sounded like she was using quotation marks, but Daniel didn’t comment on it. When she let go of him and stood up, he finally crawled out of bed, sat up and stretched the morning ache out of his limbs.

“You don’t look so great,” Jen commented, bending down to get a closer look at the dark circles beneath his eyes, a stark contrast to the rest of his face. “Kinda peaky. You feeling okay?”

“Just tired,” Daniel grumbled, rubbing his eyes. Looking down at his hands, he could see that they were shaking, the same way Jen’s did when she’d just downed a large mug of coffee.

“Need some coffee?”

“That would be wonderful. Thanks.”

"Okay. Now get up, your breakfast is going to get cold."

Daniel didn't complain, but his legs did as he pulled himself to his feet and followed Jen to the kitchen in their motel room. There had been far too many springs in that mattress.

He found his breakfast waiting for him at the table; scrambled eggs on toast and not much else. Whilst Jen fetched her own food, he sat down to eat his bland affair of a meal.

"I still don't get why you never have seasoning," Jen remarked through a mouthful of toast. "I mean, what's the worst it can do to you?"

"Impurity," Daniel muttered, poking his eggs around with his fork. Jen didn't say anything.

They finished breakfast in silence and then got dressed. When Jen came out of the bathroom wearing a black blouse and jeans, Daniel was still rummaging about in his bag for some clean clothes.

"I guess it's a stop at the laundromat, huh?" Jen asked, setting about washing the dishes.

"I'm just out of clean shirts," Daniel said absently.

Immediately, Jen raised an eyebrow at him. "I haven't seen you wear the ones I got you yet."

There was a moment's pause as Daniel ran his answer through his head. In the end he just settled with an 'okay' and pulled the light blue polo out of the bottom of his bag. Wordless, he took it and the rest of his clothes to the bathroom to get changed.

As his head broke free of the collar of his shirt, he caught sight of his face in the fogged mirror and did a double take. Dull blue eyes surrounded by the darkest shadows imaginable gazed back at him, a thick layer of blond stubble covered his chin and limp, unkempt hair flopped over his forehead.

So, this was what a month without hair gel or parents did to you.

"Shit, that colour looks awful on you," Jen said when he walked out, pulling a face.

"This is why I always wear white."

"No, you wear white because of your religion. The store was out of white shirts and I know you well enough that anything darker than pastel is going to give you nightmares."

"No, it won't," Daniel pouted.

"I'm just fucking with you, alright?" Jen smirked, before her features turned serious. "We need to talk about what we're gonna do next."

Daniel's shoulders slumped. "We've got a few days before..."

"Your 'time of the month'? Yeah, that's what we need to focus on."

"How easy is it to get a reinforced cage?"

"Short of robbing a zoo? Pretty fucking impossible in the time frame we've got."

"You have a gun in the truck."

The scowl on Jen's face was all he needed as an answer.

"I am not shooting you, Danny. Don't even fucking joke about that."

Daniel raised his hands as a peace gesture. "Okay, then. Not bringing up the gun again."

"You'd better not," Jen growled. She went and fetched her laptop from her bed and opened it up to show Daniel a map. "I know you're getting sick of travelling, but I found somewhere you can spend the night. It's an island, in the middle of a lake that's got at least fifteen miles of forest surrounding it on all sides. Even if you got off the island, you wouldn't reach anyone or hurt anyone."

"What about campers?" Daniel asked, nursing a fresh cup of coffee that tossed hot steam into his face.

"It's... private property. Some rich guy has a holiday home there, but he's been in prison for the last six years. I'd say we're good."

"Okay then. Trespassing. How far is it?"

"It's near the next town over, about three hours away. That good?"

"It's fine. Should we head over today?"

"Yeah, we should scout out the area. Pick a place to rendezvous, give you a feel for the land."

Daniel nodded and sipped at his coffee some more.

"I'm going to pack up," Jen said, snapping the laptop shut and heading back to the beds.


	3. Driving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cars, roads, and the conversations that take place within them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ach. I don't focus on Max and David long enough, but the others are where the drama is at!
> 
> Don't worry, we'll get more on them in the next chapter.

The trees zoomed past as Max and David drove out of Sleepy Peak and into the forest. Max had his forehead pressed against the window, and 'Come On Eileen' was playing on the radio, with David tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the song.

"This is going to be a fantastic summer, Max, I just know it," he grinned, his eyes gleaming wildly.

"David, you say that every year," Max said.

"And every year, I'm right. Summer at Camp Campbell is amazing."

Sighing, Max rolled his eyes and looked back out onto the road.

* * *

The sight of the mountain ahead did little to bother Daniel, as tired as he was. The trees on either side of the car were little more than a darkened blur for him whenever he did have the will power to hold his eyes open.

"So, if we get a motel room and wash our clothes at the laundromat when we get there, we can check out that island in the afternoon," Jen rattled, her eyes on the road.

"Okay," Daniel mumbled.

"You're actually getting this, right? I'm not talking to a zombie?"

"Motel, laundry, island," Daniel listed, not even opening his eyes.

Thus, he couldn't see the deep lines forming along Jen's forehead. "Dude, seriously... are you okay?"

"I told you, I'm just... just tired." A heavy sigh shook Daniel's chest. "I've not been sleeping well," he admitted.

The car fell silent for a brief moment.

"You talk in your sleep," Jen said eventually. "Do you... get nightmares?"

Daniel's silence spoke volumes alongside the distinct drop in his shoulders.

"Yes," he said quietly.

"Is anything else wrong?"

"… I don't know... Just... everything seems... mixed up."

"You haven't asked me about my research in a while."

"What's the point? You've been doing it for months and found nothing."

Jen sighed. "Danny... I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault," Daniel shrugged. "You've tried, and... done more for me than anyone else has, if I'm honest..."

"You're my friend," Jen assured him. "You'd do the same for me."

"I hope so..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing..."

"Look, whatever happens, I'm going to help you find a cure for this 'impurity' of yours."

Daniel smiled up at her, albeit weakly. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it, bud. We'll figure out this mess."

"Do you think I'm overreacting about my parents?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe they don't care enough about what happens to me, monster or not. After all, I failed them."

"People make mistakes. But if they can't get over that then that's their problem."

"I tried to poison a camp full of kids," Daniel said flatly. "Twice. And I got in prison for it."

"And let's keep it at 'tried', okay?" Jen said through gritted teeth.

"I'm just saying that to them, I failed our gods."

"See, this is why I'm an atheist," Jen snarked. "You don't have any divine beings to disappoint with your screw-ups or abandon you when they suddenly decide that prayer isn't enough to save you."

Her frown dropped when she noticed the way Daniel had curled in on himself, features twisted with hurt.

"Shit..." She growled. "Daniel, I-."

"You're right," he interrupted. "None of them care. If they did, then I wouldn't be like this." His expression hardened. "Which is why I need to cure myself of this _disease_ so that they will care. They think I'm not good enough for them but I am."

"Daniel-."

"I'm good enough, Jen," Daniel snapped, almost growling at her.  "I can Ascend with the rest of them. The only difference is that I have to do more for it."

"Danny!" Jen shouted, catching him off guard. Abruptly, she pulled over and turned to grab him by the shoulders. "I get it, okay? You feel like your damn religion is all you can live for, but the way you're acting about this is about the unhealthiest shit I can think of."

"But you're-." Daniel began, but he was cut off again.

"A practising Satanist? Yeah, I follow the fucking teachings, but I don't kill myself over it like you and your fucking cult does! I don't take it so seriously that it gets in the way of everything else and hurts me."

Daniel didn't say a word, shrinking away from her to the best of his ability. Taking a deep breath, Jen let him go and took a moment to collect herself.

"You died, Daniel," she said hauntedly. "For a whole minute, you were dead, and you said it yourself; there was nothing. What if the doctors hadn't brought you back, and you were stuck there? Doesn't that _scare you_?"

Daniel didn't reply for a minute.

"It does," he said eventually. "But... you don't understand."

"Then help me understand," Jen implored desperately. "The stuff you told me as a kid, I can understand fine. But ever since we were sixteen... it's just gotten more and more worrying. The black-and-white mindset, the threats to outsiders, it... it's not good. For anyone.

"I don't want to lose you, Daniel, and I know how _selfish_ that sounds; making you live for my sake, but... is this blind devotion of yours really worth it? You have so much to live for, and do you really want to throw it away for a religion?

"You said people just want to feel safe. But did you really feel safe with the Church?"

Silence was the only answer she got. Jen sighed and started driving again. Daniel didn't say a word for the entire drive. He didn't notice the signs they passed that announced their approach to Sleepy Peak.


	4. Arriving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Destinations are met. The Quartermaster apparently wants a rug and disgusting tea is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!! I'm putting the focus mostly on David and Max now! Rejoice!

"Here we are!" David announced, driving under the Camp Campbell sign. The second 'c' was hanging by a nail and threatening to fall off again.

"Yay," Max said, his enthusiasm having been stolen by David. They parked by the counsellors' cabin and he watched as David leapt out with a grin, clearly itching to run around the whole camp.

"It's good to be back," David exclaimed, stretching his arms out above his head.

"David, we were last here just four weeks ago."

"I know, but not properly. We get to spend the whole summer here. Aagh, there's so much _space_!"

"Please don't run into the woods for an hour like you did last year," Max whined. "You came out with the platypus attached to your face."

David grimaced. "Okay, okay. I'm calm. No need to get the dog whistle."

"Man, I can't be bothered to get that stupid thing out of my bag and you know it.” Max rolled his eyes and went to grab his bag from the back of the car. “I’m gonna go pick out a tent for me and Neil to sleep in.”

“Okey dokey. The Quartermaster should have them all set up by now.”

“I still think that creep wants to turn you into a rug,” Max said, walking away towards the campers’ tents.

“He wouldn't touch a hair on me,” David called after him, grabbing his own bag from the car.

“Yeah, keep thinking that, David!”

Chuckling, David grabbed a key from the glovebox and headed towards the door to the counsellors’ cabin. Slipping the key into the lock, he gave it a firm twist and let himself in.

The small common room smelt of wood polish and surface cleaner, the unnatural chemicals making David’s nostrils flare. They’d be replaced by the smell of Gwen’s incense and scented candles by the end of the week for sure. Smiling, he made his way to the male counsellors’ bedroom and entered to the same scents as the previous room. Clean bedsheets were lying next to the blanket and pillow on his bed, waiting to be made. The other bed on the end or the room was – as usual – lonely and bare.

 _Maybe next year I can put out a job ad_ , David thought, placing his bag at the foot of his bed to be unpacked later and setting about making the bed. _Gwen’s not_ _gonna_ _be here forever_ _. I’m going to need more help eventually._

Once David was done making the bed and unpacking his bag, he left the cabin and slowly made his way to the mess hall. Without any campers around to cause a ruckus, the rustle of the wind in the trees and the buzz of wildlife just out of sight seemed incredibly loud. He could hear the platypus padding about in the undergrowth, quacking with unknown intent.

He entered the mess hall to find the Quartermaster wiping down a table. The one-handed man gave him a curt nod and continued cleaning. Everything still reeked of chemicals, but now David could catch the scents of food in the pantry and dusty old animal skins that continuously lingered around the Quartermaster.

"Good afternoon, QM!" Daniel greeted as he strode into the kitchen. "How've you been?"

The Quartermaster gave an indistinct mumble in reply, and David left it at that. Instead of attempting to make conversation, he set about making lunch for himself and max.

* * *

The moment they were in their room, Jen threw her bag onto one of the beds and inspected the kettle and the coffee sachets on the desk. "Smell anything funky?" She asked over her shoulder. "Your sniffer's always been better than mine."

"No," Daniel yawned, dropping forward onto his own bed. "Just cleaning products."

"Sweet," Jen grinned, taking the kettle to the bathroom and filling it with water. "You want tea or coffee?"

"What sort of tea do they have?"

"Regular or lemon."

"Regular," Daniel mumbled, his voice muffled by the bedsheets.

Nodding, Jen finished filling the kettle and brought it back to the boil. "You're going to make me drown it in milk again, aren't you?"

"That's how I always have it."

Jen's lip curled in a grimace. "It's gross. Might as well drink straight-up milk like a five-year-old."

"Well, it's not as if I can have it any other way," Daniel huffed, rolling onto his back.

"What the hell kind of religion tells you how to _drink tea or coffee_?" Jen whined, exasperated.

"This one."

"Sometimes I wonder, Daniel."

"About what?"

"Everything concerning you."


	5. Almost There...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen, Neil and Nikki are here. Some have changed, some... not so much...
> 
> Daniel and Jen make one last check and have a talk wherein the author basically holds up a sign explaining the entire plot of this fic.
> 
> Also, hugs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And much like soup, the plot thickens!
> 
> ~~Don't hate me for the dad jokes, it's David's fault.~~

The next few days passed in a samey blur. Gwen arrived at the camp and helped David set up equipment and activity schedules for the summer while Max waited around for the Neil and Nikki; who were being dropped off by the former's dad two days early; to show up.

The sight of a silver Honda pulling into the camp was what finally dispelled Max's boredom, and he didn't even mind being tackled to the floor by a blue-haired blur in red and yellow.

"Hi, Nikki," he mumbled, feeling his ribcage slowly collapse under the weight of an entire teenage girl sat on his chest.

"Hi, Maxie!" Nikki shouted, bearing her teeth at him. Fucking christ, how has girl qualified as human for sixteen years? "How's it been?"

"Great, but it'd be even better if I can breathe," Max grunted, trying and failing to push her off. His arm was nearly yanked out of its socket when Nikki hauled him onto his feet.

Neil chose that moment to sidle in. "Hey, man," he said, a half-lidded smile on his freckle-ridden face. He'd mellowed out since he'd started high school; less high-strung. Sure, he was still hands-down the world's biggest science nerd, but Max found him a little more bearable these days.

"How's it hanging?" Max greeted, extending a fist towards Neil, who bumped it with his own before Nikki karate chopped his arm.

"Ow," Neil whined, rubbing at his wrist and glaring at his stepsister.

"You home dudes got everything ya need, or do some of us need to make a quick run home?" Neil's dad asked, shooting the three teens fingerguns and making Neil gag with secondhand embarrassment.

"Daaaaad! Stop!"

"We've got everything!" Nikki yelled, already hauling her bag out of the boot of the car. Neil followed suit, still glowering at his dad.

Whilst Max was helping Neil extract his travel science kit from the car, David and Gwen were talking with Neil's dad.

"Thanks for letting them come over early, David," Neil's dad said. "They seemed about ready to tear the house down after school ended."

"Oh, it's fine," David grinned. "Besides, Max needs the company," he added.

"Candy says hi, by the way."

"Tell her I hope that conference goes well."

"Sure thing, dude."

* * *

 "Are you sure it was a good idea to have Max's friends around tonight?" Gwen asked as he and David set up the targets for archery.

"It'll be fine," David dismissed. "Max can keep them busy for one night, and I have you to keep me out of trouble. Besides, I've had more kids around on the full moon than just Max and his friends. Been at this gig since I was thirteen, remember?"

"Alright," Gwen said, not sounding convinced. David sighed and put down the painted target he was setting up, walking over to offer Gwen a hug. To his delight, she accepted.

"Don't worry about me," he pressed, burying his face in her hair and indulging in the fruity scent of her shampoo. "I'll be fine."

Gwen sighed and pulled away from the hug. "I know, but... I've just got a bad feeling about tonight..." She shook her head, frowning. "It's probably nothing. Ignore it."

David smiled at her, calm and reassuring. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over worrying. It means you care."

"Thanks, Davey."

* * *

 "Should a forest be this dark in the middle of the day?" Jen asked, making Daniel look up from his feet to her. She was staring at the thick, dark trees that loomed just beyond the yellowish stripe of beach ringing the island. It was dim beyond those first few trees, even though they weren't so closely packed together that the sunlight couldn't have been able to reach through. He could smell damp earth and wet green leaves, dazzling like a shot of adrenaline that made his hands tremble even more than they already had been for the whole morning. The heavy, bass thud of his heartbeat resounded in his ears, fast and primal and fierce. A voice in his head told him to quell it, snuff it, but it was drowned out by the sounds of his body and the forest.

"Just the canopy," he decided, rubbing at his eyes.

"No, it's too thin," Jen argued. "It's the same as the rest of the forest in this area, just the light's not being allowed beneath the branches. Every time we're here, it just seems far too dark." Her frown deepened. "But I don't feel worried," she said, voice quiet with thought.

Daniel just walked into the trees, leaving Jen and the clunky little motorboat they'd been using to cross the water these past few days, behind. They'd explored the island already, but Jen had insisted on one last check.

"Hey, asshole, wait up," Jen called after him, pounding over in her heavy walking boots until she caught up. She gave him a glance up and down and her eyes widened. "Jeez, you look like you've just had ten espressos." 

"That's normal," Daniel shrugged. "I get... manic... sometimes, whenever it's coming up."

Jen raised an eyebrow. "Manic?"

"Jumpy, disorganised... like you when you've had too much coffee."

"Can't argue with that," Jen conceded, raising her hands.

They continued exploring the island, Daniel wandering aimlessly and gazing up into the canopy while Jen poked around in the undergrowth, looking for signs of wildlife on the island.

"Hey, I never asked. What do you think of this place?" She asked eventually. In the distance, a twig snapped, and Daniel's head snapped to attention, every muscle tense.

A few moments of silence, and he gradually unwound himself and turned to look at Jen.

"It feels... safe," he said slowly, blinking in surprise at his own words. "Strange, but... safe."

"Is that good?"

Daniel shrugged. "I guess."

Elation and relief washed over Jen, and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Do you think this will fix me?" Daniel asked suddenly, and the smile dropped from Jen's face.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe being here will make me less dangerous," Daniel murmured, looking down at his hands and massaging his wrists. "Don't animals in zoos act nothing like they do in the wild? Maybe that's part of what's wrong with me. Maybe being here will fix it."

Jen's shoulders sagged in a sigh, and she walked over to place her hands on Daniel's shoulders.

"I have no idea, Danny," she said softly. "I mean, I found a few things about this, but... I can't tell if any of the garbage I've found is genuine or not."

At this, Daniel seemed to shrink in on himself, deflating like a popped tire. Shaking her head, Jen pulled him into a tight hug.

"It's going to be okay, Danny," she whispered, though for whose benefit, she had no clue.

"Don't promise things you have no control over," Daniel mumbled into her shoulder. With some hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Jen and held onto her just as tightly.

"Still doing it. Gotta have faith in _something_ , right?"

"Good point."

They stayed like that for a short while, before Jen pulled away.

"Let's head back," she said. "Get a little more rest before tonight."

Daniel seriously doubted he'd be able to sleep at all for the next twenty-four hours, but he nodded anyway and followed Jen back to the boat; his hands shaking violently and impurity coiling through his veins like molten metal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON YET?! AM I BEING OBVIOUS ENOUGH?! OR IS MY CRYPTIC CRAP STILL ANNOYING YOU?!


	6. Transforming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Up above, the clouds blot out the sky. But one can still see the light of the full moon, struggling to be seen.
> 
> David is calm, happy, if a little hyperactive.
> 
> Daniel is experiencing his usual monthly hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH _WERE_ OH _WERE_ COULD THIS BE GOING??? OH I WONDER!!! ~~sarcasm~~
> 
> Hey, look! What a quick update! Short chapter though. Probably going to be a few short chapters in the next few days.  
> Slight warning for body horror in this one since, I'm describing a transformation scene.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to leave amazing comments on this work. It's so heartwarming to read all of these great comments over and over again telling me how much they love my writing, and it's been motivating me to keep on going, so kudos and thank you to all of you!!

As the day passed, David started getting distracted and jumpy. He managed to keep it under wraps so that Nikki and Neil just chalked it up as David being David, but by the time night time came around, he was practically bouncing off the walls of the counsellors' cabin.

"David, go to your room," Gwen growled when he paced in front of her for the thirtieth time that night. "It's ten o'clock, I do _not_ want your naked ass transforming in front of me again." She threw her magazine at his head, and he wasted no time in fleeing to his room to pace around some more until the moon was a little higher in the sky.

Less than half an hour later, she heard whining and the sound of something being knocked over, then claws clattering on wood and the creak of a door being pushed open.

A large, triangular head poked through the door, bright green eyes gazing at Gwen with a primordial intensity. She wasn't even phased as the colossal, red-coated wolf padded into the room towards her.

"Hey, David," she said softly, as the animal approached the armchair she was sitting in and rested its front paws on the arm. They looked more like pseudo-hands, with the digits being longer than what would be called natural, but not long or dextrous enough to count as fingers, the thick pads covering the palms and between the joints and tipped with sharp black claws. "No trouble, right?"

The werewolf shook his head no, and nuzzled Gwen's shoulder.

"Ew, gross," Gwen whined, grinning despite herself as a cold wet nose pressed up against her neck. "Get your slimy snout away from me."

David gave an offended whine and pulled away, tilting his head at her. She laughed and reached up to scratch him behind the ears, which earned her a contented sigh and an Instagram-worthy doggy grin.

"How the fuck are you so adorable?" She asked. "You're practically a wolf-shaped grizzly, but you act like a teddy bear."

David just chuffed and dropped back onto all fours. He was twitchy and agitated, clearly anxious to go outside and expel all of his pent-up energy.

"Want me to come with?" Gwen asked, ready to put her magazine away until David shook his head. "Okay, then. I'll keep an eye on the three little shits for you."

Even as a wolf, David's look of complete disapproval was so comically unmistakeable that Gwen nearly busted a rib laughing at it. With a mild huff, he padded his way to the door and fiddled with the door handle until it opened.

* * *

Daniel watched in silence as Jen chugged back to the mainland on the motorboat. Up above, the sky was a blank expanse of thick cloud that blotted out the light of the stars. Pale moonlight still struggled to break through, though, and he could make out the round shape of it, high in the sky.

He hated it. Hated this. Hated having to confine himself to an island in the middle of a lake so that he wouldn't slaughter Jen and countless more in the wake of his uncontrolled savagery.

He hated himself. Wished he'd just carried through with his own Ascension six years ago rather than run to find more sacrifices. Maybe then, everyone would've been better off. He certainly would; he'd probably have been granted a place amongst the ranks of the Ancient Ones and dutifully served them.

But no... He ran... and now here he was. An Impure monster just willing the days away until he found a cure.

His heart thudded against his chest with the force of a jackhammer and his entire body quaked with a dark, sinister energy that ached to tear him apart and put him back together again an abomination. Every ounce of him struggled to fend it off, to retain his humanity for just a little longer, but it was a losing battle. He was just prolonging the inevitable.

Once the boat reached the shore and Jen disappeared from sight, Daniel turned around and made his way into the trees, despite the crying protests of every muscle in his body. When he could no longer see the shore, he reluctantly took off his clothes and hung them up on a tree limb.

Now he was naked in the woods, utterly humiliated by every aspect of this miserable existence.

All he could really do about it was curl up amongst the roots of the tree and wait.

The minutes ticked by as hours. He felt an excruciating pressure building up between his bones that no amount of neck cracking would dispel. In the distance, somewhere on the mainland, a lone wolf howled a lonely song that made his heart twist.

Then it happened. The pain, hitting him like a sledgehammer, forcing an agonised scream out of his throat as his jaw was wrenched forward and his teeth grew longer and sharper. Bones elongated and ribs compressed into a new shape to accommodate rapidly expanding lungs. Limbs twisted and joints shifted and he gave one last cry of desperation and fear through broken vocal cords before pitching forward and burying his forehead into the earth in front of him.

Everything went black, and Daniel was gone.

The wolf opened its eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNN!!!


	7. Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wolves go out to hunt.
> 
> It's not safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOOOO! Things are getting wild here!
> 
> I should be sleeping right now, but I was really close to finishing this chapter and decided to get it done and out for you guys so I can maybe wake up to comments cuz seriously, this is what keeps me sane during college.
> 
> Also, warning for animal death here. Not graphic or drawn-out, but I just want to put that out there for people who get upset by it. It's the third paragraph of the POV switch.

It was a warm summer night that David found himself in. One in which he could feel the threats of a rainstorm in the air, but only threats. Rain would not fall until morning, if at all. Perhaps by then it would’ve moved on to another area other than Camp Campbell to make way for the sun. That would be nice. But so was the rich amber-blue smell of soaked earth and green leaves, dripping with water from the heavens, and the misty dampness in his breath as he took in the early morning quiet and listened to the rhythmic 'drip drip drip' of water falling from the leaves.

For now, though, he'd take a walk and listen to the here and now. The rustle of the trees and the soft fluttering of night time birds going about their business.

And the flushing of a toilet... It seemed one of the kids was up. Not knowing who it was, he hid in one of the other cubicles and waited to see which child was up.

He'd recognise that blue hoodie and mess of curls anywhere, and the blue-green scent of cedar wood and oranges that overlay them.

"Mrf!" He called, trotting out of the shadows towards Max, who gave a slight start before relaxing at the sight of him.

"Hey, dad," he said, and David tried not to let his chest puff out with happiness like it always did. He failed. "Figured you'd be out in the woods by now." Max frowned. "Don't give me that look, you smug asshole."

David tilted his head in mock confusion.

“Don’t give me that look, either,” he growled, but his voice lacked the menace he’d been aiming for. “You know _exactly_ what you’re doing, giant dog or not.”

David gave a soft bark and bumped his head against Max's shoulder, nearly knocking him over.

"Rude," Max snorted, shoving David's head away with a smirk. "Go on, go chase some bears out of town or something."

David rolled his eyes at him and backed up, giving his son some space.

"Seriously, though, you should get going," Max said. "I'll hold off Nikki and Neil for the night."

With that, he turned and headed towards the tents, giving David a final wave before breaking into a jog. David watched him until he was back in his tent, where torchlight shone through the canvas and shadowy shapes danced over it. Probably Nikki making paper shadow puppets. He could hear the comical, animated voices from here. Content that Max and his friends were okay, he trotted off into the woods and disappeared from view.

It was dark, but his vision cut through the shadows, and the synthesia showed him all the well-worn paths of man and nature that had been trodden in throughout the years. Picking out the wispy brown of rabbits, he followed it to a trail he frequented quite often.

_Guess it'll be rabbits tonight. Better get some for the Quartermaster, too._

* * *

Cold. Dark. All around, the world stretched out. The walls were gone, cold metal absent from the wolf’s limbs as wide, crystalline eyes searched for them. What was this?

Little creature. Pale smell. Snap. Warmth in its mouth and bones giving way. A hunger growing in its gut even as it ate as much as it could.

_Free. Freefreefreerunchase-._

Noise. Footsteps. Yellow and purple. A scream of terror and teeth closing around flesh that immediately dissipated into empty air.

_Where’d it go hunthunthunt_

Flashes of memories. Cracks, pain, chanting, the dark and murky smell of man.

_Manhurtkill_

There was more of it. Here. Now. The wolf could feel it, choking, seeping into the throat, nose, mouth, lungs-

It was coming from across the water.

_Run, stop, watercoldswim_

The wolf could see lights there. It knew the sight of man from the other times, when the moon was gone.

Phantom pain, in its back, throat, limbs…

It saw man. Man hurt. It didn’t want hurt. If man was here, then hurt would come when the moon left.

It didn’t want that.

Whining, fear. The wolf backed away, but man was still here.

_Free_

_Make them gone_

It could. No chains. It could hurt man first.

A running jump. Cold. Wet. Remembering how to swim. Finding the lights of man again.

Rage. Anger.

_Hunt kill get them first._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe… oh, boy…
> 
> Cake for anyone who guesses what comes next.
> 
> Also, does anyone want me to try illustrating some scenes from here? They'll just be pencil sketches, but hey, if anyone's interested, let me know! :)


	8. Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't pet the big-ass doggo...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant to be longer, but I got the feeling that I could cut it short and get out a quicker update. The next half of the chapter is pretty much almost done, so you guys don't have to wait too long for the next update.
> 
> Enjoy! This chapter is for all you Nikki fans out there! :D
> 
> Also, I have no idea how guns work or if ammo bags that clip to your belt are actually a thing, so yeah. If any of you guys see anything that needs correcting, then let me know. I want to make this immersive and inaccuracy kinda takes that away :|

Nikki wasn’t so much a light sleeper as someone who frequently made the mistake of drinking too much water right before bed. Also, Neil snored, which probably didn’t help either, and now they were sharing a room again, so yeah, you get the picture. 

With a heavy sigh, she crawled out from underneath Max’s bed and headed for the bathrooms. Once nature’s call had been answered, she went back to the tents. 

The sound of water splashing halted her in her tracks. 

“Mwack?” She called, expecting the camp mascot to come waddling over like she usually did when Nikki was around. 

An uncharacteristic ally quiet “wek” sounded to her left. Not the water. Confused, Nikki searched around until she found the platypus hiding in a hollow log by the campfire area. 

“Hey, Mwack,” Nikki grinned, reaching out to pet the animal in a way only Nikki could, only to reel back in surprise when she received an angry hiss in response. “What was that for? I thought we were good?” 

The platypus just clicked at her and tried to retreat further into the log. 

“Okay, then,” Nikki conceded, deflating slightly as she straightened up. Something must have spooked her, like that time with the ugly beaver. Oh, well. She’d probably be calm in the morning. 

Consoled by that thought, Nikki carried in towards the tents. 

But stopped when she saw the shadow by the lake. 

It was big. Long and lanky, shaking water off itself just like a dog. From where she was standing, Nikki could make out pale fur in the dim moonlight and a pointed face. 

A grin found its way onto her features. This was the biggest fucking wolf she’d ever seen. 

And she knew right away that she wanted to pet it. 

Eyes wide with manic glee, she took a step forward and let out a short, sharp growl-bark to catch its attention. 

Icy blue eyes snapped onto her, and the grin was suddenly wiped from her face. 

She saw hatred in those eyes. 

It felt very, _very_ wrong… 

Trapping the whimper that so desperately wanted to escape her throat, she took a step back. 

Lips peeled back to reveal glistening teeth. A rumbling growl shook her bones. The wolf stalked towards her. 

She spun on her heel and bolted, ignoring the enraged snarl that sounded behind her. 

She ran for the bathrooms, locking herself in a toilet cubicle and shrieking when the wolf smashed into the wall to her right with a deafening _BANG_! 

The wolf continued to throw itself at the wall, snarling and growling. A clawed… appendage… scrabbled at the gap between the wall and the cubicle roof, gouging deep claw marks into the wood. On shaky limbs, Nikki managed to pull herself into the next cubicle, and the next, until she was at the end of the row of toilets and clambered out. 

Clinging to the hope that the wolf still thought she was in the toilet, she raced towards the counsellors’ cabin and started pounding on the door. 

“GWEN!!” she screeched. “DAVID HELP ME!! LET ME IN!” 

Behind her, the snarls were growing steadily louder. 

Then the door opened, and she was sent sprawling on the floor. 

“Nikki, what the fuck?” she heard Gwen grumble as she scrambled inside. 

“Close the door!” she shouted, hiding behind Gwen. 

“Why on-HOLY SHIT!!” 

Nikki glimpsed teeth, dripping with pinkish saliva. 

Then the door was slammed shut and a yelp sounded on the other side. Gwen wasted no time in locking every lock before the pounding and snarls started up again. 

“ _What was that thing_?!” Nikki demanded, eyes wide as she struggled to her feet. 

“Rabid wolf,” Gwen said, perhaps a little too quickly, but Nikki was too frazzled to notice. 

“ _That_ was not a wolf!” Nikki snapped, pointing to the door, which was shuddering with every blow the creature dealt upon it. “I know wolves, and that wasn’t one. Wolves get scared, but they don’t hate, not like that thing. Just… just ask Neil!” The colour drained from her face. “Neil! I left him and Max in the tent!” 

Immediately, Gwen’s features hardened. Casting a final glance over the locks, she strode over to her room. 

“Wh-where are you going?” Nikki squeaked, watching fearfully as Gwen knelt by her bed and reached under. Her fingers caught on a loose floorboard, which she pulled out to reveal a compartment hidden beneath it. Peering inside, Nikki saw a rifle and several small belt bags. 

“I’m getting that thing away from you,” Gwen said firmly, taking out the gun and checking it over before grabbing several of the bags and clipping them to her belt. They clinked with ammunition, and outside, the creature was still striving to get inside. 

“What about-?” 

“When it’s gone, I want you to get the boys and then go to the Quartermaster’s hut. Tell him what happened, and whatever you do, _don’t fucking leave_ _that hut_.” 

Nikki wanted so desperately to protest, to argue that Gwen couldn’t go out on her own, but the look on the woman’s face quelled those thoughts immediately. 

“Where’s David?” she asked quietly. 

“He’s out,” Gwen said simply. “Sorry, kid, but I’m on my own here unless you get the Quartermaster.” 

She didn’t have much to say to that, except “be careful.” 

“I know these woods, Nikki,” Gwen reassured her, in the process of loading as many bullets as she could into the rifle. “And I have a gun. That bastard isn’t going anywhere near me without tasting lead first.” She gave it one final look-over before turning to face Nikki. Were they really almost the same height already? “You know what you gotta do?” 

Nikki felt her legs turn to jelly, but she managed a nod. “Y-yeah.” 

“Good. Now, don’t leave until you hear a gunshot, okay? That first shot will be your cue to run like fucking hell to the boys. _Don’t_ waste time out there.” 

“Okay.” 

With that, Gwen marched to the back door in her room and left the building. Nikki didn’t dare peek though the window to watch as she ran to where the wolf-monster was and started shouting, 

“Hey, motherfucker! Come and get me!” 

Nikki nearly collapsed with relief when she heard the pounding stop, but the thunderous roar that followed forced a sob out of her. Suddenly she noticed the fear-stricken tears streaming down her face and absently wondered how long they’d been there. 

Outside, there was silence. And as Nikki waited, the silence grew, seeping into the cabin and filling her lungs, making it hard to breathe. She hadn’t heard any gunshots yet. How long had it been? Was Gwen okay? What if the creature got her? Max and Neil were still out there, _what if something_ -? 

 **_CRACK!!!_ **  

The silence shattered, and she could _breathe_ again. Like a racing greyhound released from its cage, she bolted towards the front door, fumbled with the locks and burst out. Pelting full speed towards the tents, she did all she could to block out the splitting sounds of gunfire. 

* * *

**_CRACK!!!_ **  

David froze in his tracks, and the rabbit bolted for cover. Darn. 

Letting out the breath he’d been holding, he rose up to his full height and looked around. He couldn’t detect any new smells in the air, but that gunshot had definitely been close. Far too close for him to just leave it be. What if it was a hunter and the kids had decided to not do as they were told (wouldn’t be the first time) and go out into the woods? They could get hurt. 

With a knot of unease weighing in his chest, David followed the sound of the gunshot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, the tension! You can cut it with a knife!
> 
> Dog Dad had better get a move on!


	9. Shoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay, let's terrify everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, how do guns work? Please tell me I'm not screwing it up too badly.
> 
> Enjoy!

Max was woken up by someone violently shaking his shoulder. That someone turned out to be Nikki. 

A panting, teary-eyed Nikki who was all but yelling at him and Neil to get up. 

“Mmuuuh,” Neil groaned blearily, rubbing at his eyes whilst Nikki kept telling him to hurry up. “Nik, whu’z goin’on?” 

“We need to get out of here,” Nikki said, her voice trembling, and Max knew immediately that something was very, very wrong. Next to nothing scared Nikki like this. “Th-there’s this _thing_ in the woods. G-Gwen led it off, but we need to get to the Quartermaster so he’ll help her.” 

“‘Thing?’” Max echoed as he pulled on his hoodie with as much haste as he could muster at this hour. “Nikki, what’re you talking about?” 

“I almost got eaten by a monster and now it’s after Gwen!” Nikki spat, her breathing shaky and harsh. “She told me to get you and tell the Quartermaster so he can _help her_! Now get off your _fucking_ asses!” 

_Oh, shit,_ Max thought dumbly. _This really is serious._  

Even Neil knew to pick up the pace now. Throwing on a jumper, he barely had time to slip on his shoes before Nikki hauled him out of the tent and the three of them were racing as fast as they could to the Quartermaster’s hut, just within the outskirts of the woods. Nikki was pounding on the door and yelling in an instant. 

“Quartermaster! Quarter-Ach!” 

The door opened, and Nikki fell flat on her face at the old man’s feet. 

“I’ll get the shovel,” the Quartermaster said automatically, turning back inside. 

“There’s a monster after Gwen!” Nikki gasped, on her feet. “This… this big white wolf-thing and it tried to kill me and Gwen told me to get you because David isn’t here!” 

Max felt the air around them all still. 

Wolf… 

David… 

“I’ll get my gun,” the Quartermaster said matter-of-factly. “Get inside.” 

The kids did as they were told. None of them had been in the Quartermaster’s actual hut before, and Max was surprised to find that it was quite neatly organised. Boxes, clothes lockers and shelves lined the walls, there was a potbelly stove in one corner, a single shuttered window and a small bed with worn-looking covers. The old man had limped over to a workbench and picked up a hunting rifle. 

“Was it a big one?” He asked, as he dragged a cleaning tool through the muzzle of the gun. 

“Really big, like a bear,” Nikki said shakily, the adrenaline rush having died down. Behind her Neil was giving everything in the hut suspicious looks. 

The Quartermaster finished cleaning his gun, checked it over with one final nod, and grabbed a pack from beneath the bench. 

“Stay here till one of us comes back,” he said, walking towards the door. 

“You’re _leaving_ us here?!” Neil squawked, eyes wide. “When there’s a rabid wolf on the loose?!” 

“Not a wolf, Neil!” Nikki spat. 

“Safer for you here,” the Quartermaster grunted, halfway out of the door. 

“Wait,” Max called, racing over. “I’m coming with you.” 

“No, you ain’t.” 

“I know how to handle myself around wolves,” Max bristled. 

“It’s not a fucking wolf!” Nikki shouted again, but she went ignored. 

“You know how to handle yourself around _David_ ,” the Quartermaster corrected, hook waving dangerously close to Max’s face. 

“What’s the difference?” 

* * *

“This one attacked your friend. David’s lot don’t go after folk without good reason. Either this one is feral or they just don’t care ‘bout nothin’. Safer for you to stay here.” 

“But David-.” 

“Would rip me limb from limb if I let you come with me. Don’t you underestimate him, boy. He may be sweet in front of you, but I’ve seen him fight off bears when protectin’ his own an’ come out the better.” 

Max opened his mouth to protest further, but a menacing glare from the Quartermaster shut him up. 

“Good. Now stay here.” 

“You can’t just leave us here alone!” Neil screeched. “What if… whatever chased Nikki comes back?!” 

Grumbling, the Quartermaster turned to look back at Max. 

“Your dad teach ya to use a gun yet?” he grunted. 

“He taught me gun safety last year,” Max shrugged. “But not how to point and shoot.” 

“Eh. Good enough. There’s a pistol in the blue box beneath my bed. A little out of use, but as long as you don’t waste those bullets, y’should be set up.” 

“Okay.” 

“What about me?” Neil demanded. 

“Swords; third locker from the bed. You can poke it.” 

Spluttering in outrage, Neil waved his arms about in all directions, even as the Quartermaster left and locked the door behind him. 

Max didn’t say anything as he began searching under the bed for the pistol. 

“David taught you to use a gun?” Nikki asked, sitting on the bed above him and showering dust and insect wings over his head. 

“There was a kid who invited people out hunting with him and his dad when he first moved into the neighbourhood last year,” Max coughed, dragging the metal box out of the shadows. “David taught me gun safety, just in case I got asked. Never did, but hey, better safe than sorry.” 

“But can you shoot a bitch?” Neil asked saltily, yanking open the locker that the Quartermaster had pointed out. It rattled in protest before snapping open, and several sharp swords came tumbling out. Neil ran off with a manly squeal. 

“I play first person shooters on Xbox,” Max smirked. 

“If that _thing_ shows up, I’m kicking you into its mouth.” 

“Not if you butcher yourself.” 

“Fuck you.” 

“No thanks.” 

* * *

Jen was half-asleep in her truck when the first crack of a gunshot split through the woods and startled her into wakefulness. Sat bolt upright, she didn’t move until the echo had died down into nothing, and the only sounds left were the chirping of grasshoppers and rustling in the undergrowth. 

_What the fuck are hunters doing out this late?_ she wondered, furrowing her brow. God, she hoped no one had gotten the bright idea to try hunting on the island. 

No... she was pretty sure the only people dumb enough to trespass on private property were LaVeyan Satanists and their overzealously religious werewolf friends. 

Still... she couldn't help but feel anxiety tying knots in her gut and a sudden lack of safety nagging at her. Frowning, she got out of the truck and sat down in the bed. Looking around, she leaned against the door and willed the hours away. Her phone said that it was just after midnight, but she'd learned from nine months of observation that Daniel wouldn't turn back for another two hours. 

It would be a while before she received the text from Daniel saying she could pick him up. 

**_BANG!!! BANG_ ** **_BANG_ ** **_BANG!!!_ **  

She snapped to attention, eyes wide as she looked around her. That... didn't sound good. 

_"_ _Yyeeaaaagh_ _!"_  

That... sounded wrong... 

"Awrooooooo..." 

**_BANG!!_ **  

Shit... 

Jen's heart shot up to her throat, and before she knew it, she was reaching for the gun in the bag behind her. She recognised that howl, and it wasn't coming from the island. 

Daniel was on the mainland. 

With a loaded shotgun strapped to her shoulder and an ammo bag clipped to her waist, Jen got up and started running into the thick trees. Of course. She should have fucking known, that Daniel, who turned into a fucking _dog_ once a month, could fucking _swim_. Yeah, he hated water normally, but she should've _known_ that the animal that took over didn't have the same qualms. 

Now someone was going to die because she'd been careless. 

Heart pounding, she leapt over fallen logs, stomped through shallow streams and charged through bushes, hoping against hope that whoever she'd heard screaming wasn't dead by the time she found them. 

* * *

“Fuck off!” Gwen shrieked, pausing her headlong assault through the trees just long enough to take aim again and fire another bullet at the werewolf on her heels. The ground in front of exploded in a shower of dirt and desiccated roots, but this time, the wolf didn’t stop and she was forced to keep running on burning legs. “Dammit!” 

Behind her, the wolf was a slavering mass of white, streaked with red where several bullets had already grazed across its sides. 

Gwen had never come across a feral before, but from what David had told her, this was definitely one of them. 

_“So, the pop culture monsters are actually a thing?”_  

_“It… depends. If you were to attribute real life_ _knowledge_ _to those scenarios, then the behaviour would be explained by stress and abuse at the hands of humans. See, the wolf would associate humans with danger_ _based on its human experiences_ _, and_ _they’ll either try to get away from it or_ _decide_ _to… get rid of it first. It’s rather primitive logic, but…_ _it is_ _what it is.”_  

Gwen wondered what this one had been through to hate humans so much. 

_Well, you_ did _shoot it a_ _nd call it a motherfucker._  

… besides that. 

Then her foot caught on something and she went flying. Her impact with the ground knocked the air out of her lungs and sent the gun skittering away, out of reach. 

"No, dammit!" She croaked weakly, trying to pull herself towards the gun with shaky arms. Behind her, the wolf snarled and came closer. 

She could _feel_ its hot, wet breath puffing against the back of her neck. See the teeth, feel them biting down on her flesh and tearing, eating,-. 

**_CRACK!!_ **  

A howl of agony thundered into her eardrums, and she winced. Something wet spattered across her back, but she didn't waste time figuring out what happened and hauled herself up onto her feet, surprised that she could hold her own weight. 

She looked back. 

The wolf's pelt had a fresh stain of red blooming across its shoulder, deeper and more vibrant than the ones she'd made. Behind it, she caught the sight of ratty moustache and the glint of a metal hook in the moonlight. 

She never thought she'd ever be glad to see the Quartermaster in the middle of the woods with a gun in his hand. 

Eyes gleaming with cold malice, the wolf turned towards the Quartermaster, who remained unfazed. Lips peeled back in a growl, it limped towards him. 

He aimed the gun between its eyes, and Gwen felt her heart twist. 

There was more thudding and the cracking of branches. She saw blonde hair and a denim jacket. 

"Daniel, don't!" 

Again, the wolf froze in place, and again, its eyes locked onto the newcomer. 

* * *

Another human. Yellow and blue. The shine of more metal. It smelled of sweet burning and man, and it _knew this one_  

Where where where 

_H_ _urt G_ _et rid of it_  

The wolf leapt towards it, jaws open wide. High screams rang in the wolf's ears. 

* * *

"DANNY NO!!" 

In that single, terrifying instant, Jen saw red. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:D  
> Bet you all hate me for these cliffhangers, huh?


	10. Red & White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a fight. A cage. A few things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aa, it's been a little while! Happy holidays!
> 
> Got a bit stuck, and college happened, so sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy it. Might end up re-writing the beginning of it, so I'll let you guys know about that when I publish the next chapter.
> 
> Warnings for violence and injury here. Sorry.

Red and white. Blue finding green. The flash of teeth.

With a snarl of rage, David threw himself at the intruder, sending them both crashing onto the ground in a flurry of teeth and claws. Lunging forward, he dragged his fangs across the other wolf's face, drawing blood and earning a yelp of pain from them.

In the corner of his eye, he saw the blonde woman racing over to Gwen and the Quartermaster. Good, they could-.

_Painteethneck_ _GET IT OFF_

The feeling of jaws clamping onto his neck startled him back into focus, and he lashed out, feeling grim satisfaction as he clawed deep furrows into the other wolf's chest.

A savage kick in the ribs sent him sprawling backwards, and the white wolf lunged towards him. He darted away, and the other yelped as they flew face first into the dirt.

Both wolves collided in a savage conflict of teeth and claws. They grappled and rolled, trading bites and blows with all the ferocity that wild animals should. David lost himself to it, let himself fade out of humanity as he focused on the sole need to protect his own.

There was no telling what the other one wanted.

They tumbled into a ditch and the white wolf yelped as the back of its head struck a rock.

David didn’t waste time. He grabbed them and slammed their head backwards over and over again, feeling sick with every dull thud that met his ears, but not stopping until the wolf went limp.

He stood over them, panting and bleeding, his head spinning with adrenaline.

Up above, the weighted, roiling heavens split, and the first few drops of heavy rain hit his head.

They weren’t moving. David’s thoughts returned to clarity, bringing with them a cold fear.

_They weren’t moving._

Whining, he bumped his head agains theirs, listening for anything that could dispel the growing tightness in his chest.

The soft puff of breath against his ears made him sag with relief. They were alive. Probably concussed, but alive. That was the important part.

Carefully, he picked the wolf up and carried them out of the ditch on his back. The rain was picking up, but it wasn’t seeping into the ground just yet, so despite the sting of his wounds, there was little to trouble him as he slowly made his way in the direction of camp.

Some five minutes later, he was startled by the sight of the Quartermaster stepping out from behind a tree. The other wolf almost slid off his back.

“Guess you got ‘im,” the old man said gruffly, searching through the pack slung across his shoulder and bringing out an abnormally large dog muzzle that David did not want to know the origin of. “Shame. Wanted a new rug.”

He couldn’t help the low growl that rumbled in his chest. It did little to faze the man as he walked forward and slipped the muzzle over the white wolf’s face. David caught a whiff of the herbs that was stuffed into the cage of it, and he turned away the moment he started feeling dizzy.

“That’ll keep ‘im out of it. Least ‘til he’s in a better mood.”

David didn’t comment. He just shouldered his burden and kept going, noting the way the Quartermaster’s footsteps abruptly ceased, but not bothering to see if he was still walking behind him. He wasn’t. He’d be back at camp by now, probably. It was just best not to question it.

When he finally stepped out of the woods, the Quartermaster had already set up a large bear cage behind the counsellors’ cabin. The rain was pounding mercilessly on the ground now, but David was thankful for the cool water running along his wounds. It would save him some trouble cleaning them.

“Get ‘im in,” the Quartermaster grunted as David approached. “I got a first aid kit.”

David did as he was asked, padding into the cage and letting the other wolf slide onto the metal flooring. Their coat was still stained crimson.

“Kids’re in the cabin,” Quartermaster said bluntly as he knelt down beside the wolf’s head with a red metal box.

With a soft huff, David, nodded, then left to go to the counsellors’ cabin.He could hear voices inside; most raised in demand for answers whilst one – Gwen – tried to placate them all at once. A high-pitched voice – Neil, clearly – was yelling profanity whilst another woman was telling him to shut up, all flying over Max’s shouts of ‘where’s David?’

Honestly, he left them alone for ten minutes, and they were at each other’s throats. Huffing, he stood up and fumbled the door open, trying not to bristle at the wide-eyed stares that found him as soon as he stepped inside.

“David!” Max yelled, rushing over to him and thumping his fists Against David’s rain-soaked chest. “Don’t  _ever_  do that again, you fucking moron!”

For once, David didn’t chastise him for the language, instead leaning down to press his muzzle into Max’s hair. It was damp, and he wasn’t wearing his hoodie. What had  _happened_?

He looked up to find Nikki and Neil staring at him from the couch, the first with mild fear, the latter with disbelief. The blonde woman was also staring. David recognised her; Jen. A friend of Gwen's whom she'd met six years ago just after all the hooey with Daniel. She'd... been nice, actually. Fierce, energetic, odd sense of humour; it was a shame she hadn't decided to actually become a counsellor.

What was she doing here? Didn't Gwen say she lived all the way in California?

Gwen must have caught her staring, because she walked over to pull Max away from him and looked at him pointedly.

"The feral went after Nikki," she stated, and David felt his insides churn. "Don't worry, she's not hurt. Just... just shaken up. The boys are fine too."

"Fine?!" Neil spat. " _Nothing_ about this is fine!"

"Hey, you're not maimed or mentally scarred beyond repair," Jen snarled back, "In situations like this, that's considered 'fine'." She looked away, scowling through the window which faced the cage. "Unlike some people..."

"Jen," Gwen sighed. "I'm sorr-."

"Don't be. This is my fault."

"Damn fucking right, it is!" Max shouted from where he was all but hiding in David's mane. This time, David gave him a small bark of warning, which went ignored. "What the fuck were you thinking, letting that bastard loose like that?!"

"Mrgraargh," David growled, pushing Max away and giving him a firm look.

"I thought he'd be okay on that island in the lake," Jen said quietly, still looking out of the window.

Gwen interjected, "None of us got hurt,-."

"Except David!" Max interjected, gesturing to David's injuries. The blood was starting to seep into his fur again, and with no rain to wash it away, the stains were growing.

Gwen ignored him. ",-and you were out of options, right?"

"Yes," Jen nodded.

"So, we can all understand  _why_ this happened, and that it’s  _no one’s_ fault," Gwen concluded loudly. "Right?" She added sternly, shooting pointed looks at Neil and Max. Begrudgingly, both boys nodded. "Good. David, do you want me to help bandage those up?"

David nodded, and followed Gwen into the bathroom. One last glance over his shoulder told him that the kids had huddled up together on the couch, all staring at Jen with varying levels of suspicion. The woman in question had retreated to an armchair, still staring out of the window as she hugged herself tightly. The creases along her forehead were cause for concern. Was the wolf someone close to her? They had to be, why else would she be so worried? 

Gwen closed the bathroom door, cutting off his view and his train of thought.

"It's Daniel," she said quietly. "The freakshow from '16. Remember him?"

Like David could ever forget. The smell of rat poison that he'd so desperately ignored, spiked jealousy in his chest, news articles that he'd seen too late. Regret and loathing. The harsh tones of a violin.

Daniel... a wolf... He hadn't been one six years ago. Had David done something? He couldn't have. It had almost been a new moon, then.

Gwen seemed to notice his fear. "He got bit about a year ago," she supplied. "In prison. You had nothing to do with it."

It probably shouldn't have, but those words made him sigh in relief. Immediately, he felt rotten for it.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Gwen said, walking over to the cramped, claw-footed bathtub and turning on the shower. David clambered in and let her rinse away the blood quickly, then she grabbed a towel and dried him off as well as she could. "We can replace the bandages when you turn back."

Grunting in agreement, David stepped out and nosed open the mirror cabinet.

"Thanks, pal."

It was a simple matter of Gwen wiping disinfectant over David's wounds and wrapping bandages over the deeper ones. The bites on his neck were deep, but not dangerously so, and Gwen eventually left them alone after five minutes of poking at them with a pair of tweezers, trying to figure out whether or not they’d need stitches. Eventually, she was done, and David was set free. Max was quick to drag him over to the couch, right in front of Nikki and Neil.

They stared at him. He stared right back, head tilted to one side.

"Hey David," Nikki said, her voice quavering.

"Rrf," David replied, leaning forward. Neil shrank away and placed a protective arm in front of Nikki, but his sister reached out for him and placed a hand on his nose, eyes wide with wonder.

"Awesome," she breathed, and a wide grin alighted on her face.


	11. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel can't seem to get a break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whooooo!! I have no proper comment to add to this!! ENJOY!!
> 
> Uh, actually, a super quick warning for vomit. Not graphic, but someone throws up.

An hour later, the kids had all fallen asleep on the couch, and David was curled up on the floor at their feet, thinking. Trying to help Gwen explain everything to them had been difficult, and easing their anxiety over Jen and Daniel had been a chore. They’d all wanted the two blondes out; ‘let them fend for themselves’. Incapable of words, David hadn’t been able to make an argument, and it had taken a lot of frightening noises on his behalf to finally get them all to be quiet and save the decision for later, when _everyone_ had a voice.

He didn’t know what to do, though. On one hand, Daniel was dangerous; letting him stay could put the children at risk, regardless of whether he intended to do harm or not. On the other, making him leave was also a problem. Telling him to live a stress-free lifestyle and keeping in contact was an option, but it didn’t guarantee anything. He needed the presence someone who knew what they were doing; phone calls just wouldn’t cut it.

Maybe he could send him and Jen over to Gregg and Darla…

No, they had kids now… they wouldn’t want him anywhere near them…

His thoughts were interrupted by the bleeping of an alarm, and Jen cursing under her breath. "He's gonna freak," he heard her say as she rose to her feet. "Aaand his clothes are in the middle of a lake. Wonderful."

"Rrargh," David grunted, rising to his feet and making Jen start.

"Uh... Hey," she murmured, shifting on her feet. "Uhm... Got any clothes I could borrow?"

* * *

 

**_Th-bump, th-bump, th-bump, th-bump,_ **

Head pounding. Mouth dry. Everything hurting and throbbing in time with his heartbeat.

Man had got him... hadn't they..?

Whining, the wolf pried its eyes open.

Metal walls with upwards holes. Behind them, Red and Blue-Yellow.

Wolf and Man _stayawaystayaway runfightkill_

Red showed teeth; growled a warning _I'll hurt_

_No please not again nohurtnohurt_

Man raised a hand. Stepped forward _get them first_ Red made them stop. The wolf kept growling.

_No hurt. I'll get you first._

Tearing, splitting, crushing _not now please I'll do anything THEY'LL HURT ME_

Dark. Swallowing, choking, snuffing the life out of him, and Daniel rose to the surface in a groggy haze; human.

He hurt all over – _already?_ – and his head thudded a heavy rhythm in time with his heart. **_Th-boom, th-boom, th-boom_** _._ Through the bars of a cage, he could make out the blurred forms of Jen and...

 _Oh no_...

**_Thumpthumpthumpthump_ **

Teeth pain everything burning and splitting his body open _no no NO_

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe, metallic clangs echoing in his skull, tunnel vision, zeroing in on _it_ red and green and blood-.

"Danny. Danny, it's alright. Breathe, buddy. Breathe."

Strong arms wrapping tightly around him, another heartbeat in his ear. It's slower than the one that's beating against his skull. Steadier. A stable anchor in his tumultuous ocean of complete and utter _terror_.

_Don't let it hurt me, don't let it hurt me._

"Danny, calm down. He's okay, you're safe. You're safe. Just breathe."

Gradually, his thoughts and heart slowed down and the world swam back into focus.

"You okay now?" Jen asked. She was holding onto him, and he was all but clinging to her.

"M'okay," Daniel mumbled, letting go of her and squirming out of her grip. "I-I'm fine. W... where..?"

"Clothes first," Jen interrupted, holding some clothes out in front of his face and pointedly looking him in the eye.

Oh... oh, goodness...

His face was burning up.

"I didn't look!" Jen said quickly, averting her eyes skywards, where miniscule drops of rain spat down. "Just put them on, and we can pretend that never happened."

In wholehearted agreement, Daniel nodded and snatched the clothes out of Jen's hands. Pale blue jeans and a grey shirt. He couldn't be picky, but...

Jen seemed to read his mind. "Do not complain about the colour, it's not as if you brought anything spare!" She snapped. "Put them on, then we'll talk."

He did as he was told. That's when he noticed the open wounds all over his body, and the bandages that hung loose from his limbs, like they'd originally been on a body far larger than his.

"Jen," he said quietly. "What..?"

"Clothes on first!" Jen shouted, still looking up.

"They are. Jen, what did I do? Where are we? Why am I in a cage? What did _this_ to me?!"

"Hey hey hey, easy. Danny, I know you want answers, and I know you're scared and hurt, but you're also freezing, and need new bandages. Come on... Let's get inside, I promise I'll explain."

Jen rose to her feet, and helped pull Daniel up onto his. In return, she received screams as overwhelming agony ripped through his shoulder.

"Shit! I'm sorry, I am _so sorry_!"

"What _happened_?!" Daniel demanded, blinking back tears as he held out his shaking, bloodied arm out for her to see.

"You got off the island," Jen said, looking him straight in the eye. "You didn't hurt anyone," she added quickly. "Although... people did shoot you, and... well, you definitely came off worse for wear when he got involved," she looked towards the red... _beast_ outside, which Daniel now noticed was also covered in bandages.

All Daniel could do was gape at her in slack-jawed horror.

"Let's just get inside," Jen sighed, taking his hand and leading him out of the cage, into a wooden cabin that he found... disturbingly familiar.

Inside was warm and dimly lit, the wooden floor blissfully smooth in comparison to the earth outside, if only his feet weren't covered in a layer of grime and made very step feel gritty and filthy. He wasn't allowed much time to take it in before Jen was dragging him into another room; a bathroom.

"First aid kit should be in here somewhere," Jen muttered absently as she peered first underneath the bathtub and then at the shelves behind the toilet. She found what she was looking for in the mirror cabinet. "Here. Uh, you wanna wash off that dirt yourself?"

"Yes."

"Kay. Grab the showerhead; I'll get you some new clothes. Again."

* * *

 

Half an hour later, Daniel shuffled out of the bathroom behind Jen, bandaged up and wearing another set of clean clothes that he wasn’t going to bleed into this time. He still hurt everywhere, but his left shoulder was the worst of it, and he had a slight limp in his left leg where teeth had dug themselves into it at some point.

The monster was waiting for them in the living room, sat in front of a beige sofa covered in blankets. Now that Daniel had more of an opportunity to look at the room, the unsettling feeling of familiarity grew, bringing with it a knot of unease that made itself perfectly at home in his gut.

He sidestepped behind Jen. She looked back at him, unreadable.

“He won’t hurt us,” she said. It didn’t reassure him in the slightest.

“Why hasn’t it turned back yet?” he asked quietly. The wolf must have heard him, because there was a rumbling huff that shook his bones the moment he said it.

“‘He’,” Jen corrected, walking away from him and dropping herself into one of the armchairs in the room; one covered in  colourful knitted blankets. “ _He_ is the reason a freaky pirate janitor didn’t put you down like a wild dog.”

Daniel just stared at it, caught in its unforgiving gaze like a deer in the headlights. It stared back, a vicious predator eying him up like meat, which he was, actually. Meat with a heart that was beating faster than normal. Lungs that were struggling to draw in air and limbs that shook with pain and the overwhelming need to _run, get out don’t let it get you-._

**_SLAM_ **

The eyes were gone, shut behind a door, and suddenly, Daniel could _breathe_. Jen had dragged him into a bedroom; two beds and dressers on either side of the room and a large, green, shaggy rug between them.

“You okay?” Jen asked softly.

"I'm fine," Daniel squawked, absolutely not fine, but Jen didn't need to know that. She didn't need to know just how messed up he was, or how shadows seemed to be closing in on him from all angles and he could even now feel teeth tearing into his skin, the copper stench filling his lungs, red staining every inch of his skin, leaking, filling his mouth, the **_thudthudthud_** of his chest _everything hurts make it stop_

"Daniel? Daniel, breathe, you're freaking out again. Danny."

“I’m gonna be sick,” Daniel gasped, throwing open the nearest window and throwing up. The vile taste of copper and vomit coated his tongue and throat, gagging him as he was guided away from the window and handed a glass of water, which he gratefully accepted. Jen sat him down on the newly-made bed and dropped down onto the sheets next to him.

"Last few hours have just been one thing after another, huh?" She breathed, flopping back against the sheets, head narrowly missing a collision with the wall. "Man, you almost eat me and then you have like three panic attacks in an hour. I dunno about you, but I'm exhausted."

"Mh," was the mumbled reply as Daniel sipped at his water.

"Yup, you're bushed. You wanna finish your drink and I'll..? I dunno... Tuck you in or something."

"Mmhmm."

He downed the rest of the water in several gulps, and Jen set the glass aside on the bedside table.

The words slipped out before he could actually process them.

"Can you stay?"

For a moment, the world seemed to freeze. Until,

"Sure," Jen shrugged, slipping off her jacket and socks, revealing a pink heavy metal band t-shirt. "Come on, shift. I'm tired."

Too shocked to protest, Daniel did as he was told, lying on the bed and trying not to shrink away when Jen curled up next to him.

"Something the matter?" She asked, looking into him with bleary cyan, ringed with smudged eyeshadow.

"Just... sore," Daniel murmured, gesturing to the bandages that covered him.

"Sorry. I'll try not to move about too much."

"Thank you."

"No problem. G'night."

"Night."

That one word almost seemed like her cue to nod off, because she immediately closed her eyes and her breathing evened out.

Daniel poked her in the shoulder. She didn't even twitch.

Out like a light.

It wasn't so easy for Daniel. Nothing ever was. He did his best to keep still, alternating between uncomfortable (for him) staring and screwing his eyes shut in in the hopes of that being the key to sleep.

It wasn't. He even resorted to shifting from one side to the other, despite the limited room available. Jen's breathing just kept a steady pace in his ear, but he wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing.

He didn't dare touch her. He didn't want to risk causing her more harm.

But the world seemed to have different plans, when out of the blue his negative mood was interrupted by an arm wrapping around him and pulling him into a warm chest.

"You're too nice," he muttered, curling up into the curve of Jen's body and closing his eyes.


	12. Hello, Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David and Daniel meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been a while, hasn't it. Exams happened, and the new season of CC has come out.
> 
> Thanks for the patience. Have this chapter.

Sleep never came. Only the Ancient Ones knew how long Daniel had been trying to achieve it, curled up against Jen as he was. Even when his eyes felt as dry as sandpaper and the first ekes of sunlight began to peer through the curtains, when the bandages were starting to itch and he felt like if he were to stand up now, he'd collapse. Sleep continued to elude him.

It had to be painfully early in the morning when the door creaked open, and a long, triangular head peeked through.

Daniel tensed, eyes wide with horror as the wolf-creature padded in, claws clacking against the wooden floor. It was limping, bandages covering its neck and front limbs, hunched in on itself, as if in pain.

It stumbled, groaned, and cast a green-eyed glance at him and Jen before pulling a blanket off the other bed and nosing its way underneath with little success at actually covering itself. Peering over Jen's shoulder, Daniel could only watch as the creature began to shrink, pelt receding under its skin, ears remoulding, tail pushing back, until all that was left was a tall, lanky redheaded man with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, sat on the floor.

Reality ground to a halt as Daniel stared, blood simmering, at the man whose selfishness had landed him in prison.

David.

He seemed ridiculously ignorant of Daniel's presence as he wore the blanket like a robe and rummaged around in a set of drawers at the foot of the empty bed (his. Definitely his) and pulled out some clothes before shuffling out of the room again.

Dumbfounded, Daniel struggled to ground his thoughts. He was in _this_ Sleepy Peak, where he'd almost _died_ six years ago. He'd somehow made his way to Camp Campbell, where David, a _werewolf_ , as it turned, out had hurt him.

Xemüg was responsible for this, he was sure of it. There was bad luck, and then there was _this_.

Or maybe... maybe this was a blessing; a sign from the Ancient Ones. Maybe the other man was meant to help him. Sure, he was a heretic, but Daniel couldn't afford to be picky these days.

Slowly, he eased himself out of Jen's embrace and did his best to slide off the bed without waking her. She sniffed and shifted, he froze and waited for her to settle before tiptoeing out of the room, back into the living room which he now recognised with startling clarity. Maybe the rug was different, and the large couch was definitely new, but somehow, he knew those tatty old armchairs had definitely been there the first (and last) time he'd been here.

On the couch, another redhead was sleeping beneath some gaudy-coloured blankets. He didn't dare try to see who they were, in case he woke them.

So he just stood by the bedroom door and waited.

By the time David finally came out of another door, fully clothed and covered in fresh bandages, Daniel was nearly asleep on his feet. At least until the click of a door startled him back into alertness, and he was face to face with the redhead. He was staring at him with weary, half-lidded eyes, but they were no less intense than the beast’s had been earlier.

It was enough to make Daniel take a step back.

“Hey,” David said, his expression blank. “I… didn’t think you’d be awake yet.”

Daniel didn’t say anything. Just watched the man as he shuffled on his socked feet.

“Do you want to talk?” he asked, sounding almost friendly. “Outside? I’m sure you’ve got a lot of questions.”

They stared at each other for another minute, before David looked away.

“I’ve got a few jobs to do, but you can wait for me in the mess hall if you want,” he explained, then his features suddenly sharpened. “I’m sure you remember where that is.”

Daniel blinked. This was not the happy-go-lucky guitarist from six years ago.

Before he could say anything, David walked away. Daniel limped after him, and pulled on the trainers that were nudged in his direction. They were blue and black. Slightly too big for him.

Outside, the sky was bright, patched with pale clouds that still spat chilly little raindrops onto his skin. The sun felt warm in the places where it reached him.

He followed David to a woodshed bordering the forest, and watched as he filled a metal bucket with sawdust. Then they went back to the cabin, but Daniel was confused when the other man didn’t go inside, instead to an outside wall, where he found a coppery stain beneath one of the windows.

“I threw up the first time, too,” David said casually, not looking at him as he shook sawdust over the stain. “It takes a while for your stomach to get used to it, but you’ll get there.”

For a long while, Daniel didn’t say anything, until,

“Is this… is this a joke to you?”

David shook his head. “It’s my life. Has been for years now.”

“What..? How many..?”

“I was thirteen. Another month will make it about seventeen years.”

Daniel’s face went slack.

“Seventeen…” he echoed. David nodded. “And you’ve… never tried to cure it?”

He evidently frowned at that. “I'm sorry to break the bad news, Daniel, but there isn't a ‘cure’. Trust me, people have been searching for centuries. The closest anyone ever got was a dangerous suppressant that turns you into a ticking time bomb if you use it too much.”

The blood drained from Daniel’s face. David carried on as he walked away to drop off the bucket and go to the mess hall, whilst Daniel followed, numb.

“I’m sorry I can’t tell you what you want to hear. Really. But that’s the fact of the matter. Once you’ve been bitten, and that first full moon tells it all, that’s it. The only way to go is forward.”

He unlocked the door to the mess hall and let Daniel in. They went to the kitchen and sat opposite each other at one of the tables.

“Is there anything you want to know?” David asked softly, completely sincere.

“What happened last night?” Daniel asked quickly.

“You managed to get off the island,” David explained slowly. “And attacked one of my campers.”

“Oh. Oh, no, did I-?”

“No, she’s fine. My friend managed to keep her safe.” David’s expression hardened. “Daniel… you were out of control last night. Do you remember any of it?”

 Daniel shook his head. “Am I supposed to?”

“After the way you were acting last night? No, people don’t usually remember things in that state.”

“Something tells me I did more than what you’re telling me.”

“You chased my friend through the woods. And went for Jen when she got involved. I had to knock you out.”

“Did _they_ get hurt?”

“No. No, you didn’t hurt anyone.”

“Except you,” Daniel pointed out, his eyes drawn towards the bandages wrapped around David’s neck and the large plaster that covered his cheek. His own face throbbed in sympathy.

“I’ve had worse. You were nothing I can’t handle.”

Silence.

“That… that _thing_ isn’t me. It’s _never_ been me.”

“Daniel,” David began, reaching for him, but he pulled away.

“It’s _not me_ ,” he insisted.

“Okay,” the other man conceded. “Okay, I won’t argue. But that’s not a healthy way to think of yourself,” he warned.

Daniel said nothing.

“Would you like something to eat?” David offered, standing up. “Turning burns a lot of calories, so it’s best to eat a lot before and after, and in the shape you’re in, you need it.”

“Where did you learn all of this?” Daniel asked quietly.

“I had others to teach me,” David explained as he walked to the kitchen. He disappeared through the door, but Daniel kept watching through the counter as the redhead started rummaging through the cupboards. Eggs, flour, milk, and pans all made their way to the counter. “It’s the most reliable way of learning; you can’t tell what’s true and what’s just pop culture when searching on Google, and it’s not exactly safe for us to just lay out our secrets there for the wrong people to find..”

“Jen said she had trouble.”

“Well, that’s to be expected. How do you like your eggs?”


	13. Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast is eaten, and unhappy thoughts occur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad to be getting back into this story. The contrast between David and Daniel is a lot of fun, especially when I get into their similarities, however rare they may be.

They ate in silence; Daniel with a single boiled egg and one slice of toast (despite David’s insistence that he have more), and David with a sizeable amount of scrambled eggs on toast, drizzled with ketchup and mixed with diced vegetables. The mere sight of the man’s overflowing plate made Daniel’s stomach ache with disgust.

He’d finished by the time Jen came in. She looked… haggard. Hair out of place, shadows under her eyes, rumpled clothes covered in mud…

“Hey,” she said blankly.

Daniel blinked. “Hey.”

“Mmmr!” David mumbled through a mouthful of eggs, waving his fork in Jen’s direction.

“You both look like shit,” the blonde remarked bluntly. “Didn’t either of you get any damn sleep?”

“No.”

“I did,” David said, seemingly unbothered by just how miserable the two blonds sounded.

“And you still look like shit. Jeez.”

At that, David frowned. “If you’re done ragging on me, then maybe you’d like some breakfast.”

“Watcha got?”

“Eggs, bacon, cereal; the usual. I’ll be making pancakes once the kids wake up.”

Jen pulled a face. “Yeah, are they okay? I know I wasn’t... exactly nice to them last night.”

“They’re fine. What happened last night put everyone on edge. Things were said that we’ll all regret later.”

“Yeah, except you didn’t exactly ‘say’ anything. Just... roared and barked a whole lot.”

“Still.”

“Enough chit-chat. More food.”

* * *

 

Daniel didn’t stay long enough to watch his friend make a pig of herself with David (who was still eating, somehow). Before the two had even made it to the kitchen, he’d left the mess hall and strode into the woods on stiff legs. The trees smelled damp. All around him, leaves dripped with water. Had it rained last night?

His hands shook. With nerves? Pain? Lack of sleep? He was growing tired of not having any of the answers anymore.

_“I had others to teach me.”_

He’d had teachers too. Before everything had fallen apart and he’d been forced down this seemingly endless road of failure. Prison. The bite. The nights chained up in the shed and what always came after.

Pain still echoed faintly across his back; too dull to be from last night, but no less real...

“Hey.”

A shocked yelp made its way out of his throat as he whipped round, backed up against a tree, to find a blue-haired girl in red and yellow staring at him. Daniel recognised her instantly. She was the one who threw mud at him six years ago. One of the troublemakers.

Filthy. 

“You,” he growled, only to freeze up when he heard his voice quite literally deform into a feral rumbling.

“Me,” she affirmed, her tone low in a way that felt out of character for her bright colours. “The one you tried to eat last night.”

Daniel felt his blood go cold, and his eyes throb.

“What are you doing out here?”

At that, Daniel scowled. “I might ask you the same question.”

How dare she talk to him like she was entitled to his motives?

“I always go for a walk before breakfast,” she said simply. “The woods are nice, first thing in the morning. No people to interrupt it.” Her frown deepened. “Except you.”

For a moment, he felt another growl rise up in his throat; the urge to order her way from him, show _her_ to mouth off like the upstart brat she was.

Almost immediately, the burning disdain left him. Of course she was acting like this, he’d tried to kill her, corrupt her, sentence her to the same fate as him. He shouldn’t expect anything else.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his head hanging low. “I’ll leave you be.”

Arms wrapped around himself, he sidestepped away from her and began to walk off.

But it seemed she wasn’t done, when just as he’d passed her, she said;

“Someone hurt you, didn’t they?”

Her words startled him so much that he almost tripped. He stopped in his tracks.

“What?”

The word felt like bile in his throat.

“Animals don’t act like that.” Daniel knew exactly what she was talking about. “ _David_ doesn’t act like that. And Gwen... Gwen told me a lot of things about how you guys work. If you’re stressed, you have less control when you turn-,”

No. No, he didn’t work like that. He didn’t-.

“-and it usually gets worse if you’re hurt by something.”

They hadn’t hurt him. They'd helped, they’d tried to fix-.

“So, someone must have hurt you bad to get you acting like that. You didn’t want anyone else to hurt you, so-.”

“That was _not me_ last night,” he snapped, looking back to glare at her. She hardly looked fazed at all. “There is _no_ connection between me and that... that _thing_. Understood?”

The girl didn’t say anything. Just stared. With a sound that absolutely wasn’t a growl, Daniel gritted his teeth and stalked off.

He was _not_ the monster that crawled in his blood. He _wasn’t_...

He needed to get rid of it.

* * *

 

There was a lot going on in David's head this morning. Usually, on mornings after the full moon, all he had to really think about was if Max had his schoolwork packed, if he had his own work packed, and what he was going to make for dinner in the evening.

This time though, he could _feel_ the pressure of his thoughts against his temples. What was he going to do about Daniel? Could he afford to let him stay, or should he send him off in the hope that he could teach him how to handle his lycanthropy from afar? Would he even _want_ to stay? Would the kids tolerate him? Unlikely. How would they go about handling him during the full moon? It wouldn’t be easy, not at all. Was it even worth the risk? Would David be good enough to help him? What if things got out of hand and Daniel tried to hurt someone again?

What if _he_ buckled under the pressure and hurt someone? What if he hurt _Max_?

It had never occurred to him that he was capable of such a thing, but his fight with Daniel last night... it was the reality check of all reality checks. He could have very easily done worse than a few bite wounds and a concussion. And the ease with which he’d slipped out of that rigid control he’d spent years putting together was terrifying.

He couldn’t let that happen again. If he did...

“David? David! You’re burning the fucking pancakes!”

Startled back into reality, David jumped so badly that he almost knocked the frying pan onto the floor. The acrid stench of scorched pancake batter stung his nostrils, and he pulled a face as he hastily tried to scrape the mess into the bin.

“Sorry, Max. Got a little too lost in thought, there.”

“Yeah, well... stop,” Max grumbled. He looked run down, if the bags under his eyes were any indication. “It’s _not_ a good look for you. Save it for after you’ve fed us.”

That was enough to lift David’s mood. Laughing, he grabbed a clean frying pan and set about making a fresh batch of pancakes.

Max was right. He could worry about what to do next after breakfast. In the meantime, focus on the fact that everyone was safe, in the here and now.

Daniel could wait.


End file.
